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Migrant Children are on the Move
UN warns of record number of child migrants in Latin America and Caribbean
by Michael Rios and Heather Chen
Children are migrating through Latin America and the Caribbean in record numbers, driven by gang violence, poverty, instability and climate change, the United Nations reported Wednesday.
In the first seven months of 2023, more than 60,000 children crossed the Darien Gap, a major migration route and treacherous stretch of jungle that connects South and Central America, more than any other year on record, said the UN’s Children Fund, UNICEF.
Younger children were making these dangerous journeys at an increasing rate, UNICEF added, with those under 11 years old now accounting for up to 91% of all children moving through key transit points in the region.
“More and more children are on the move, at an increasingly young age, often alone and from diverse countries of origin, including from as far away as Africa and Asia,” said Garry Conille, director of UNICEF Latin America and the Caribbean.
A Perilous Journey
“When they cross several countries and sometimes the entire region, disease and injury, family separation and abuse may plague their journeys and, even if they make it to their destination, their futures often remain at risk.”
Globally, children make up around 13 per cent of the migrant population, but they account for 25 per cent of people on the move in Latin America and the Caribbean – the highest proportion in the world.
“The unprecedented scale of the child migration crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean urgently requires a stronger humanitarian response as well as the expansion of safe and regular migration pathways for children and families to help protect their rights and their futures, no matter where they are from,” Conille said.
“Even if children make it to their destination, their futures often remain at risk.” The trek across the Darién Gap, a stretch of remote, roadless, mountainous rainforest connecting South and Central America, is one of the most popular and perilous walks on earth. The 66-mile (106-kilometre) hike brings migrants from Colombia to Panama and is a crucial passage for those hoping to reach the United States and Canada.
In Pursuit of the Dream
Almost 250,000 people made the crossing in 2022, fuelled by economic and humanitarian disasters – nearly double the figures from the year before, and 20 times the annual average from 2010 to 2020.
The unprecedented movement of people in the Western Hemisphere has placed immense pressure on the Biden administration, which – despite rolling out a series of measures to stem migration – is still facing potentially thousands more people arriving at the US southern border this fall, placing a politically delicate issue at the forefront on the cusp of a presidential election.
Already, border officials are seeing an increasing number of daily encounters at the border compared to earlier this summer. In July, the number of families apprehended at the border – one of the most vulnerable populations – nearly doubled compared to June, raising concerns within the Biden administration.
Migrants in Guyana
Closer to home, the nearness of the Guyana/Venezuela border to Region One has meant that hundreds of migrants have set up makeshift homes and found other ways to settle in the Region. Guyana estimates well over 33,000 Venezuelan migrants are living in Guyana according to estimated figures from the international Organisation of Migration (IOM). Region One provides easy access by boat, with many persons entering as economic refugees. Many also come seeking medical help or opportunities for their children. Guyana has a significant track record in education, with students topping the regional CSEC and CXC exams each year.
“The growing number of migrants from Venezuela has really placed an increased burden and pressure on the resources, which the country has to address and to provide basic services to the community – health, education, housing, water, and a number of other services,” commented Robert Natiello, Regional Coordination Officer for the Caribbean and Chief of Mission in Guyana two years ago. Since then, the situation has worsened among rising tensions between Guyana and Venezuela on territorial claims.
Natiello said, “…unlike a number of other countries in the region, the government of Guyana has shown great leadership and great solidarity allowing persons to stay in the country and to integrate in country.”
